(A Recap)

We know. We already spent a lot of time introducing ourselves. We can be done now. But. We’re currently in the process of recapping 2018’s Facebook & Instagram posts. We’ve shared the stories that inspire & encourage. The not great…yet stories have been covered. Stories that make you chuckle: ✅ Now, it’s time to finish off 2018. This is the hodgepodge post. This is the one where we fit in all the randoms that wouldn’t quite fit anywhere else. Enjoy!

So. We were at 99 likes. We wanted to get to 100. We created this cute image. We carefully crafted words to ask you to share our page so we could get one more like & reach a milestone. Then, LITERALLY as we were about to hit post, we got the notification: Campfire Ministries has reached 100 likes!!! 😄 Thank you so much to everyone who has liked & shared our page. Please continue to like & share – we’d appreciate it. We serve a mighty God. One who literally gives us what we need before we can even ask! 🙌🏼

This seemed like appropriate scripture for today. 😄🎃 #GoodNews #HappyHalloween #NotSoScary #CampfireMinistries #GatherRound

We prayed for encouragement. Not high attendance. Not money. (Though both of those are always greatly appreciated! 😉) Encouragement. That’s what we prayed for on our way to the Campfire Ministries Kickoff! – and we got exactly what we asked for.

We want to thank everyone who participated in that event. All the volunteers. All the donors. Everyone who showed up to enjoy fire, fellowship & food. Everyone who offered a kind word, a prayer, a story or question, an offer to share a testimony. We’re so, so thankful for all of you. It’s such an encouragement to our hearts to have your support.

We managed to capture this sweet moment. 💗 This is what Campfire Ministries is all about. Gather ’round the fire. Share some stories. Love God. Love people. That’s it. And that’s enough. (Arkansas)

You’ll want to turn the volume up for this one! ⬇️🔊

(1/4) Today’s series kicks off a testimony from our very own Robin Young! This video was originally a set of Snapchat videos designed for close friends. It was not intended for public consumption. God has a sense of humor. 😏 Please ignore the mess. We were moving, and our house was a disaster. 😬 Instead, catch the message. Because we’re about to fill you in a little on how Campfire Ministries got started. Stick with us. 

(2/4) “I’d often walk to my parents’ office after school. Sometimes I’d sit down on these railroad tracks and just…look down them, wondering where they went. I’d sit there for what felt like hours. Wanting to take off & follow those tracks. I dreamed about it, imagining myself just packing a bag & walking away. I didn’t really care which way. Either direction would work.

And the whole time I felt so guilty – because I didn’t actually want to run away. I had great parents. I knew it would absolutely kill them if I took off. They’d wonder what they did wrong. Why was I so miserable that I wanted to leave?! But I wasn’t miserable. Not at all. I just felt this overwhelming urge to follow the tracks. I had no idea where they led. It didn’t really matter. I wasn’t running from anything, or trying to fill some void. I really struggled with warring feelings of love for my family and the desire to be near them, and the nagging urge to wander – that just would not leave me alone.

I spent years trying to make sense of it all. Turns out, there’s a word for it: ‘fernweh.’ It’s a German word. It means ‘a crave for travel; being homesick for a place you’ve never been.’ It was such a relief to discover this word…because I can relate to it. My family has a very strong sense of ‘home.’ Many of them stay exactly where they’re planted. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But, for the longest time, I felt like I was broken.

Realizing that my definition of ‘home’ is a bit broader released me from guilt. I can love my family. I can follow the tracks. I don’t have to choose. I’m free to wander – knowing that I’m living in my home. My home just happens to be a bit bigger than most.”

(3/4) “I grew up just south of the Missouri border. We’d drive up at least once a month to visit family. I loved this field. I’d stare at the ridge, wondering what view lay on the other side. (Spoiler alert! More rolling hills. 😉😂) It seemed like I spent a crazy amount of time wondering: What was on the other side of that hill? Where did that road/river/railroad track go? I have no doubt that many people have similar thoughts – but I was obsessed. And it didn’t go away when I grew up. I knew I should be ‘responsible’…but I could not get rid of the niggling feeling that I was supposed to go. Travel. Explore. Not settle down.

It was a foreign concept to me. I tried to be ‘rational.’ I tried arguing with God. Surely He couldn’t expect me to ACTUALLY be a gypsy. A wanderer. Could He? I have children!!! Does He realize that?! Kids need stability! Our family needs stability!!! It only took about 12 years for my husband and I to give up. Fine. We give in. We’ll go wherever You call us Lord. Lead us to the other side of the mountain. We trust You.”

“So, this is kind of like Humans of New York?” (Everywhere 😉)

Yes. Yes, it is. Kind of. After we finally relented to God’s calling on our lives, we started praying. What, exactly, were we supposed to do?

“I remember hearing a woman speak at a Christian conference. She said something along the lines of: ‘Seriously think about what you were drawn to as a child. What lit up your soul? All too often, we get excited about our passions as children. Stuff them down as adults because they’re not ‘practical.’ And find ourselves – at the end of our lives – pursuing the same things we were drawn to in childhood. God programs us. He places these desires and callings on our hearts. Listen to Him. There’s no need to spend the majority of our lives running from what we were created to do. Examine your childhood passions.’ 

So I did. What could I not stop thinking about, stop doing when I was a child? Well, there was the desire to travel. Obvs. 😏 I was constantly singing. Played five different instruments. Took tons of photos. And I LOVED to write. I especially loved to document things (see posts 1-3). Maybe there was something in that. 🤔 How could I combine travel, photography & a documentary style of writing? More importantly, how could I do that in a way that would honor God & help further the Kingdom?

Around that time, Brian & I went to hear a man named Brandon Stanton speak at the local college. I was mesmerized. He spoke of how he started a blog called Humans of New York. He spoke of how he pursued his passion. How he was absolutely NOT ‘responsible,’ according to his family. How he spent what felt like forever with very few followers/supporters – which has now grown to a community of over 18 million. 😳 I left that night with a sense of hope. Not that I could ever reach 18 million. But I finally had an idea of what I was supposed to do.

I had followed Humans of New York for years. (If you don’t, I’d highly recommend it. Brandon has branched out of New York, and is currently covering stories of people from Africa. Phenomenal work.) Over the next few weeks & months, I prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more. The vision became clear. Our mission: ‘Humans of New York-ish meets Jesus.’ ❤️ Yes. That’s it.

There are a few significant differences. HONY is typically based on a random selection of those who are willing to share their stories (the recent coverage of stories from Rwanda is the only exception I have seen to this rule). We are not gathering random stories. We’re searching for volunteers who are willing to share what God has done in their lives. Because HONY is based off random interviews, there are stories from all walks of life. You will find stories that inspire and offend. Stories that praise God – and ones that insult Him. We LOVE Brandon’s work and the raw, unfiltered portrayal of humanity – but it’s not what we’re called to do. We seek to gather stories that particularly point to God. This does not mean we’re only looking for ‘happy’ stories. We’re searching for those who struggle with God as well. But all of our stories will center around our Creator.

Finally. I know what I’m supposed to do. Praise God! I can’t wait to meet people across the country & hear their testimonies. I can’t wait to share the fingerprints of God’s work in the lives of His people. To create a nationwide platform where we can pray for the hurting. God has a great story to tell, and I get to document it. I was made for this. What a great life!”

As we were driving to our family’s Thanksgiving dinner, we were discussing faith with our children. We discussed Luke 17:6. If you have faith – even as small as a mustard seed – you can do…just about anything. You can do the impossible. I asked, “What does that say about our faith?”

Our middle child spoke up: “Maybe it means you can have faith, but you still need work to get it done. Maybe if you have faith, you’ll have the confidence to do the work needed to make mountains move.”

😳 Wise sage, that one. (Missouri)

Be sure to turn your volume up! ⬇️🔊

The weary world rejoices. 🙌🏻 (Silver Dollar City Attractions, Missouri)

“I got this for you. I don’t really know why…it just made me think of you.” 💖 (Arkansas)

We’re packing. Only three weeks left in Arkansas. All the feels going on around here. This gift was given before there was a Campfire Ministries. Before we knew what we were supposed to do. But He knew. He always does. And He sent this gift to us through His beautiful daughter, who we love & cherish. She thought it was the smallest gesture. But it’s meant so much to us. We never know what ripple effects our tiny, mundane, seemingly insignificant actions have. 

This gift meant a lot, then. It means a lot, now. It’s amazing how God can use our tiny steps of obedience to create lasting impact!

Merry Christmas from Campfire Ministries!
– The Youngs 

“Resolution One: I will live for God.
Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
– Jonathan Edwards

Well. That pretty much sums up our #LifeGoals. 😄 ❤️ Happy New Year, everyone! May we all be a light in 2019! 🙏🏻

Aaaannnnidddd, that finishes up the 2018 posts! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Next week, I’ll tackle 2019’s to date, before moving onto new testimonies we’ve gathered. I hope you’ll stick with us. God is writing the most amazing story. Through each of us. #GatherRound #ShareTheStories #SeeWhatGodHasDone #FromSeaToShiningSea

Interested in sharing your story? Like what we’re doing, and want to help keep the campfires burning? Want to offer a word of encouragement? We’d love to hear from you!